This invention relates to flexible packs and sachets that are designed to contain substances of liquid and creamy consistency, and which are resealable. Throughout this specification the term "sachet" will be used to define such flexible packaging types manufactured from thin films or papers or other flexible materials.
The invention relates to a sachet, in particular a sachet to contain liquid or creamy substances. The sachet consists of two essentially parallel arranged layers made of flexible material with given outer contours which are connected tightly that is, liquid tight, at least at their edges and which form an enclosed volume to be filled with a liquid or creamy substance. A part of the enclosed volume is formed as an outlet channel leading to the edge of the sachet and which is sealed at its end by a tear-off strip or section. Sachets are generally used to keep and carry smaller amounts of liquid or creamy food or cosmetic or household products. It is common practice to furnish such sachets with a tear-off section so that the sachet is opened by tearing off the section. The contents can then be squeezed or poured out. The German Utility Model G 81 27 806.3 and the German Patent Specification No. 31 43 671 for example, describe such sachets.
A disadvantage of such sachets is that they cannot be resealed after initial opening, which complicates the storage, the carrying and repeated or later use of the contents. Often the sachet is thrown away before it has been completely emptied, which leads to a waste of the unused contents.
The consumer would naturally be interested in keeping the unused content of the opened sachet for later use, however, leaking of the contents would cause undesirable damage to clothing or handbag, etc.
Several attempts to create a sachet which can be resealed easily so that the unused contents can be kept for later use without leaking, and which avoids a waste of the contents as well as avoids damage due to undesirable leaking of the contents, and thus resolving conventional problems, have failed.
The French Patent Specification No 1 016 042 describes a tube-like sachet made out of thermoplastic material to contain liquid or creamy substances. This sachet has a narrow section at one end, furnished with an outlet, which is folded back and can be put under a strap which is connected with the edges of the sachet. This sachet has the disadvantage that the seal is only then leakproof when there is sufficient inner pressure to press the folded section to the strap. This means that liquids can easily leak out when the sachet is only partially full due to the folded section not being held tight in its folded position by the strap, which can only maintain tension when the sachet is full. A further disadvantage is in the high production cost which this sachet design involves.
Moreover, in a sachet described in the European Patent Application with the publication No. 0 370 957 there is a plastic sachet with a sachet neck containing an aluminum detail. To seal the sachet the neck is folded back at the aluminum detail which is designed to fix the sachet neck in the closed position. This sachet also involves high production costs due to the necessary aluminum detail, and does not guarantee an absolutely leakproof sealing of the sachet.